Among the primary considerations of computers of the type herein described include making a portable computer light enough and small enough in overall size to be adequately and comfortably portable. Another consideration of computers of the type herein described, as well as any general or specific purpose system, is the versatility of system hardware and application software to address a variety of functional needs.
Examples of the range of application needs include, but are certainly not limited to, such functions as inventory management or tracking, patient care, or general data entry. As the scope and nature of various application needs grow or expand, so to does the nature and type of application software and hardware designed to address those needs.
Inasmuch as primary considerations include hardware portability as well as application versatility, the two frequently pose a difficult, if not inconsistent, criteria to satisfy. Namely, meeting the demand of hardware resource imposed by application breadth or versatility, may be at the expense of size and portability.
In addition to size and weight, primary considerations further include making the portable computer components accessible and serviceable by non-technical users. In making a system more Serviceable, it may become necessary to expose a user to the internal electronic circuits of the system. Accordingly, it has become necessary to provide each user with elaborate instructions together with tools to allow assembly and disassembly of different components within the system.
Some of the above cited application needs may be most efficiently or expeditiously met by way of a touch or force sensitive hand held or portable input medium. That is, a display with an integral or overlaying touch screen, the combination functioning as a single device while serving dual purposes. Other application needs are more traditional in nature and may be best met by traditional input and display means, such as a keyboard and display screen. There are advantages to either type of configuration. However intuitively, if not inherently, these types of input and display methods appear to be mutually inconsistent as heretofore the two configurations have not been combined, thus leaving one with a choice in selection as to implementation and/or use.